G. Martinez Cabrera answered question #2, “Are you responding to this election differently than you have others and if so, why do you think that is?” His answer is below.
I long to care about who my leaders are but most election cycles, sadly, that’s as far as it has gone. Politics, for me, has always been akin to my relationship with church. I want to see the point in it, but I am unable to.
And then Obama came around.
First, I want to say “Thank You!” to every writer/poet who submitted answers to our Presidential Election 2008 questions. I posted every response that we received and have been pleased to see some great conversations started around those responses. The sheer number of people actively involved, thinking, and talking about the presidential election, as well as reports of record-breaking voter turnout in early voting states, has given me tremendous hope for our future.
Cal Nordt answered our call with responses to all 8 questions:
Question: Are you usually politically active, either in your writing or in other ways, and has that changed during this presidential campaign?
Cal’s Answer: I’ve mostly been active over the years just in thinking and talking to friends, but became a local activist in North Carolina a few years ago when some powerful towns ganged up on a small community which included within it an African-American community of historical importance. This recent campaign has really galvanized me, with the primaries’ religious inquisitions bringing me to fever pitch last year.
Bob Mustin answered three of our questions for the Presidential Election 2008 feature. His answers appear below:
Question: Are you usually politically active, either in your writing or in other ways, and has that changed for this presidential election?
Bob’s Answer: I’ve been morbidly interested in presidential politics since the drama of the run-up to the ‘68 election. As years passed, however, I’ve become jaded, preferring to focus on local culture, economics, and politics. However, the eight years of the George W. Bush presidency, which will be remembered for rolling back treaties, alienating allies and international friends, allowing de-regulated capitalism to run wild, entering an ill-advised, protracted war that continues to drain the U.S. economy, sanctioning torture, a diminishment of personal privacy and liberties, makes the outcome of the 2008 election as compelling for me as any since 1932.
Externalist favorite Shaul Hendel wrote a brief essay in response to our questions on the 2008 presidential election. You never quite know what you’re going to get with Shaul, but as usual, this short piece does not disappoint.
On Voting, and High-Power Salami by Shaul Hendel
Am I politically active in my writing? It’s all politics.
Can I go through a single day without making political statements left and right? Can you? Take my morning coffee for example: it comes from a farm in South America where workers are paid fairly, and receive benefits. It’s organic. It is roasted by a local business, here in my small Upstate town. I pay a couple bucks extra for it, but I don’t care, for it gives me the chance to shove a caffeinated foot in the fat behinds of the large beverage corporations, with their human rights abuses, not to mention their inferior java products. It is one hot and steamy political statement.
Poet A.D. Winans responded to three of our Presidential Election 2008 questions:
Question: Are you usually politically active, either in your writing or in other ways, and has that changed for this presidential election?
A.D. Winans’ Answer: I have written many political poems, speaking out on the issues of the day. Some examples are “America,” “The System,” and “Fourth Of July Poem.” I was politically active in local and national politics, but at age 72, I have stepped back from active participation, except for part of a protest march or two.
Santiago del Dardano Turann answered four of our questions for the Presidential Election 2008 feature. This answer came in on October 4th from San Francisco and I’m compelled to follow up with the poet to find out if he is still undecided (updated below). His answers below:
Question: Are you usually politically active, either in your writing or in other ways, and has that changed for this presidential election?
Santiago’s Answer: For my entire adult life I have been politically aware, but I have not participated in either campaign this election. The main stumbling block for me is my indecision (unusual at this late stage) over which side to support.
Ed Bennett answered three of our questions for the Presidential Election 2008 Feature:
Question: Are you responding to this election differently than you have others and if so, why do you think that is?
Ed’s Answer: The most emotional election I’ve ever watched was probably 2004. The amount of vitriol and innuendo was unrivaled in any previous election I could recall. The emotions in this election are quite diffferent and didn’t manifest themselves until last week. [Editor's Note: This answer was received on Oct. 4.] There is a feeling of helplessness, both domestically and in foreign policy. No one feels as if they had control of the economy, yet the economy is out of control, starting with overpriced gas to no credit to the stock market panic and bank failures. The decisions and lack of oversight that led up to this were done at higher levels than what we see on Main Street, yet the effects are hitting home right here on Main Street. People are frozen in decision-making in purchasing cars or appliances, jobs are in jeopardy and people are worried.
Johanna Wald answered 3 of our questions for the Presidential Election 2008 Feature. Her very honest and personal answers appear below:
Question: Are you usually politically active, either in your writing or in other ways, and has that changed for this presidential election?
Johanna’s Answer: This fall, I will have two pieces published in literary journals that address my experiences in this, and past presidential elections. It is a theme that is clearly in the forefront of my consciousness these days. In fact, I think it is fair to say that I am obsessed, maybe even a little feverish, about the current campaign.